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PurpleTree

Breech Baby Advice

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Are there any midwife type people on here?

 

We've discovered baby is breech, I had a scan on Friday which confirmed it. I've been booked in to have the baby turned on the 9th July - 2 days before my due date, eek!. They wanted me in next week but typically both people who can perform the procedure are off all week!

 

Anyway, I've read, and a few people have mentioned, that I can help the baby turn by going on all fours, leaning forwards on my elbows, with my bum in the air (not a pretty sight :lol: ) My question is, does anyone know how long I need to stay in this position, and how often to do it? Also does anyone know any other things I can try to encourage baby to turn?

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Sorry I can't advise on turning your baby, but when I had my daughter (now 17) she was breach and I wasn't given the option of having her turned - she was what they called a 'true' breach, with her legs straight up as though she was folded in half :roll:

 

Hope they can help you out and best of luck with your imminent delivery :D

 

Lisa P

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Moxibustion

This form of traditional Chinese medicine involves burning a moxa (mugwort) stick near a certain point on the small toe of the foot (bladder 67). You can find practitioners in a variety of settings including the acupuncture clinic and other practitioners

This sounds even more loopy to me! Though I doubt you will find a mugwort stick in Cardiff even if you wanted too :lol:

I am not a big fan of some of these "alternative" methods, can you tell? :lol:

 

If I were you I would carry on as normal and go and see your obstertric team as planned for the turning (external cephalic version) but if you have questions or concerns then contact your GP or the hospital team . Whatever you do do not believe internet information, it is not always very reliable.

 

Now where did put my mugwort sticks..? :lol:

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I had a friends daughter who used the acupuncture to turn her baby and it did work. These things usually do work and have done for centuries! The needles dont harm you and you dont need to be in hospital for it - I would talk to a trained person in acupuncture and ask their advice. I am a great believer in these things and have used it for many things in the past.

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I had a friends daughter who used the acupuncture to turn her baby and it did work. These things usually do work and have done for centuries! The needles dont harm you and you dont need to be in hospital for it - I would talk to a trained person in acupuncture and ask their advice. I am a great believer in these things and have used it for many things in the past.

But you can not possibly know that the acupuncture worked. The baby may have turned him/herself into the cephalic position and the acupuncture was a mere coincidence. Without a randomised controlled trial one can not say with any authority whether it does or dosn't work, though I'd eat my hat if any trial did show it worked!

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Can't really help as none of my 3 were breech. My first was posterior though and so for the next two pregnancies I spent most of the time with my bum in the air. I don't think the odd ten minutes here or there makes any difference. A lot of time was spent each evening leaning on a birthing ball and I got a stiff neck trying to watch tv!

 

I don't envy you being pregnant this weather. Good luck with the 'turning'. :D

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I had lots of acupuncture when I was pregnant and was just going to pop on and suggest you try it as it does work for breach babies. If you are West Midlands based I can reccommend a brilliant practicioner - PM me if you would like her number. 8)

 

Also the bum in the air and leaning on forearms works too - it needs to be done regularly throughout the day for best results.

 

I suppose it depends on what trye of birth you were planing? :?

Some women dont mind or even opt for a C section but if you your prefer to try for a normal delivery babe will have to move.

 

Sorry - just noticed you are in Cardiff so the number wont be any good for you

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Downward facing dog - stand with your legs far apart and lean forward to put your hands on the ground, head down. It honestly does work, Mog used to twizzle round at every yoga class right up until 37 weeks. Keep it up (ha) for as long as comfortable and repeat maybe three times a day. Combine it with something that flexes you the other way for the sake of your back though! A good stretch if nothing else.

 

Moxibustion has worked for some of my friends, as has acupuncture. Frankly it can't hurt, and ECV does hurt. Reflexology is also good I hear, and relaxing if nothing else. I know one baby who was turned with ECV and just went straight back again. Hope they manage to turn the little nipper!

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I don't think you can discount "alternative" therapies, as said, they've been used for centuries - at best they help, at worst (if you use a qualified practioner) they will do no harm. Never had the breech problem but had low lying placenta with number 3 (full on placenta praevia with number 2) and went to a homeopathist about two thirds of the way through and it moved out of the way. Yes, it may have moved anyway, but the Obs woman was surprised at how much it had moved. I swear by them, I think we're too quick to intervene medically and artificially these days... (just my humble opinion :D )

 

BeckyBoo

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Good luck Purpletree :D

 

Rosie was a footling breech, so feet first, and a big baby as well - she was 8.5lb and I was a very tiny size 8 in those days. They couldn't budge her and I was so big that they were worried about a rupture, so decided to deliver her 2 weeks early by c-section. Despite having wanted a natural birth, when it became clear that this wasn't going to happen, I was just delighted that both the baby and I would be safe.

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Thanks for all your replies.

 

Daniel (my eldest) was breech too, and I had him turned, so I'm not worried about the actual procedure, just more the fact that it's not being done until 2 days before my due date. Keep telling him to stay put now, whereas before I knew he was breech, I was saying 'get a move on', 'ready when you are' :roll:

 

Don't fancy acupuncture, I'm terrible with needles, which is one reason why I really don't want a caesarean, the thought of it completely terrifies me :(

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I had twins, quite big babies, 7lb and just under 7lb, one was laying head down, the other head up. Through the last couple of weeks of the pregnancy the head up one kept trying to turn and would sometimes feel like he was lying across the other. I thought my tummy would burst. At the birth the head up one turned over and was born head first. Hopefully as your baby is getting so close to term he/she will get into position, as although I guess with twins it's not strictly breech (I don't really know) the turning was at the time of birth. Hope that's a teeniest bit of comfort.

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I also hate needles, but I didn't even notice the ENORMOUS needles they shoved into me as they were prepping me for the spinal block before they yanked out Mog. So if you go into labour before they turn him, my only consoling thought for you is that you won't mind the needles :( Although I was a bit cross that it took them twelve hours from my first request to remove the wretched IV thing in my hand the morning after. Was seriously considering just pulling it out myself.

 

No possibility of delivering in breech? Do you have big babies?

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I also hate needles, but I didn't even notice the ENORMOUS needles they shoved into me as they were prepping me for the spinal block before they yanked out Mog. So if you go into labour before they turn him, my only consoling thought for you is that you won't mind the needles :( Although I was a bit cross that it took them twelve hours from my first request to remove the wretched IV thing in my hand the morning after. Was seriously considering just pulling it out myself.

 

No possibility of delivering in breech? Do you have big babies?

 

She (the sonographer) did say they may try and deliver him breech if they can't turn him - Oliver was 9lb 10oz. Although I don't know if I like the sound of that either, seems to be a lot of risk. I ended up having epidurals with both of my other two for various reasons, think the only reason I got through them was because I was so far into labour (was 9cm both times). Don't know what I'd be like if I was having it done because of a planned C-section, I almost faint whenever they take blood.

 

Just :pray: they can turn him no probs, or he turns himself before then. Then I go into labour naturally soon after, and it'll all be lovely and straightforward (wishful thinking? :lol: )

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Yeouch! Mog was only 7lb 4oz and I wouldn't have liked to try and deliver her breech! Although someone told me that big babies come out easier because gravity is on your side and there's more for you to work on so to speak. I was fully dilated and had been pushing for four hours when they finally gave up on a natural delivery. The only thing I remember is wanting them to get on and DO IT already, no recollection of any needles going in anywhere.

 

One of my least favourite aspects of pregnancy was the constant taking of blood by hamfisted midwives. I was starting to consider insisting that my phlebotomist friend did all of them as I was so sick and tired of being stabbed in the wrong place and having bruises in my elbows for days.

 

Nearly done now PurpleTree! Woo!

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I don't remember the needles when it came to giving birth either, just what at the time seemed like an odd request when the anaesthetist asked me to lie on my side and draw my knees up to my chest ... I hadn't seen my knees for weeks!

 

I had some nasty bruises from blood tests too Eirean, and I don't bruise easily at all.

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